Just as Saturday's mid-morning sun kicked off Memorial Day weekend, adventure called and a group of competent paddlers gathered to experience an untamed Geauga County…
Just as Saturday’s mid-morning sun kicked off Memorial Day weekend, adventure called and a group of competent paddlers gathered to experience an untamed Geauga County gem aboard kayaks.
“Ninety-nine percent of Geauga County residents don’t know this exists,” said John Kolar, Geauga Park District’s chief naturalist and leader of the first-ever GPD kayak expedition to Lost Lake on the Upper Cuyahoga River.
“Seeing Lost Lake and the journey to get there was full of interesting sights and sounds that everyone able should take time to experience,” Hambden’s Sonda Kunzi said. “It was surprising to find out that 99 percent of the residents are unaware of the lake and I’m happy to say I am no longer part of that statistic.”
Kayakers gathered at a small parking lot off of state Route 87 in Burton before the bridge heading to Middlefield to embark on an offsite, three-hour rugged but rewarding round trip to Lost Lake.
The program originally scheduled for the afternoon was changed to earlier in the day to accommodate the threat of a storm and more humid and unfavorable conditions.
“It’s a good morning to be on the river,” said avid-kayaker Cliff Wire, of Bedford, toting his own kayak.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Office of Coastal Management, the name Cuyahoga is an anglicized spelling of the Mohawk Indian word ‘cayagaga’ meaning “crooked river.”
The upper 25 miles of the river system are designed as a State Scenic River. The section of the river traveling to the roughly 12-acre Lost Lake, although infrequently traveled, is still public.
“Part of our mission as a park system is to expose people to some of the amazing natural wonders of Geauga County,” Kolar said. “This is definitely one of them. I love sharing my passion for the outdoors with people.”
Vehicles rolled in and were welcomed by Kolar and park volunteers Gene Zrinyi, of Auburn Township, and Nick Brozovic, of Burton, who were manning racks of neatly-stacked advanced recreational kayaks, paddles and life preservers for participants who did not bring their own.
“We can start,” Kolar said, as the parking lot quickly filled and he handed participants a clipboard with waivers to sign.
Nearby, Kunzi finished a pre-fueling banana and stuffed last minute essentials into her kayak’s deck hatch.
No kayak instruction was given as part of the program, and each kayaker was expected to be able to portage their kayaks over two muddy and slippery beaver damns.
“Don’t panic if we should capsize,” Kolar said, referencing the about 2- to 5-foot water level on the meandering river.
Zrinyi and Brozovic carried kayaks to the launch site and helped program-goers one by one enter the “Crooked River.”
“Looks like we are ready to go,” Kunzi said, beginning their morning journey to the unknown.
Kolar told the group he made a practice run the day before.
“We will be going as far as we can go on the Upper Cuyahoga,” Kolar said, as kayakers slathered on last minute sunblock and hydrated with water and sports energy drinks.
Paddlers yanked on life preserver belts and zippers, and began gliding north on the Upper Cuyahoga River. They were surrounded by views of lush vegetation along the edges, eventually leading to a marsh paddling through to a hand-dug channel, which led to Lost Lake.
“The channel was dug in the 1800s, giving people access to the lake,” Kolar said.
Dragonflies soon buzzed by and Kolar pointed out many different species of birds.
“Enjoy the sounds as you are going around,” Kolar said.
Baby birds from above serenaded their infrequent guests.
“It is a paradise for birds like flycatcher and Prothonotary warblers,” Burton’s Stacey Rauch added.
Soon, everyone stopped paddling amid the lush of the green spadderdock with their attention drawn to the right.
“Look over there,” a voice said, alerting water-goers to a very special Geauga County sighting.
A tall pair of gray-bodied, crimson-capped birds stood in the marsh.
“This is a very rare sighting,” Kolar said, of the pair of Sandhill Cranes. “What an awesome sight. It’s one-hundred percent certainty they have young there.”
“Ready for a spadderdock adventure of a lifetime?”?he then asked.
After crossing over the two beaver damns with no one needing to portage, kayakers saw a beaver lodge along the edge of the river with the river soon opening up into a remote lake.
“Wow,” said Patrice Scott, of Thompson Township, who was with her husband, Robert. “I feel privileged. This is so cool.”
Others snapped photos.
“Exploring a part of Geauga County via kayak was quite an adventure,” Hambden Township’s Sonda Kunzi said. “It’s amazing when you make a decision to try something new, what you find right in your own backyard.”
